After watching the documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop I have a new found respect for street art and the artists that create it. Before watching this I never really gave street art the respect it deserved nor did I ever really pay attention to it. I never realized how much creativity and skill it required to be a street artist not to mention eluding cops and only being able to work at night or in secluded areas. For the first part of the documentary the focus was on the artistic side of street art and what people must do to be a successful street artist. The filmed clearly depicted the life of a street artist and how they went about doing their work and getting their name out in the public. All the artist display a unique signature that is consistent with all of their art work, whether in Sheppard Fairy’s case of picture of Andrea the Giant or in Invader’s case designs made from Rubik’s cube squares. The second half of the documentary is about a film artist named Thierry Guetta and his quick and in my opinion unrealistic rise to instant stardom. A street artist told him that he should become a street artist himself. He then began to run with this idea, posting cartoon like pictures of himself holding a camera all over Los Angeles. After one large show, along with the help of many promoters and “fellow” street artists, he became an instant celebrity.
His work however displayed very little or no artistic talent what so ever. Many of his art was the work of graphic designers or other artist that agreed to help him with his show. In one scene Thierry is seen spray –painting an eye patch on a copy of the Mona Lisa and hanging in on the wall as if it was his own artwork. To me this is not art. This is taking someone else’s work and modifying it slightly and saying that it is your. It is exactly like plagiarism. Their were numerous example of true street art created by some of the greatest street artists in the world such as Banksy, and Invader. One of these pieces was a British telephone booth made to look like it just “murdered”. Invader took the square from a Rubik’s cube and created what look to be little monsters or aliens.
This obsession of Thierry’s, aka Mister Brainwash, came by filming well know street artists with zero intention of making a documentary. The only reason he followed them is because he loved to film everything. It was this obsession that kindled his new obsession of becoming a street artist and making as much money as possible. One other thing that I found rather shocking was the prices that he was asking for his work. His work was not original, it lacked very little artistic value, but people still bought it and admired him as if he were the greatest in the world. In a way the name that he choose for himself is the perfect name. He deceived every single street art fan not just in Los Angeles, but also around the world.
I also found it rather interesting how all of the artists made every effort to preserve their identity. When Banksy would go out he would always have a hood pulled low over his face so you could not see it and even when speaking on camera he would modify his voice. Other artist would have blurred their face. Unlike the others Mister Brainwash enjoy the idea that everybody knew who he was and what he looked like. He enjoy the publicity and attention where as the other artist would rather just hide from the public and be know only by their work and not by their face.
I feel that Mister Brainwash is the furthest thing for a true street artist. The only part of his work that was original was the picture of himself with his camera. All of his art is not meaningful. It might have a message contained in each one but most of the work that he displays is not his own work. It is somebody else’s work with his own twist. It does not take much artistic talent to add a baseball hat to famous painting. It also takes very little artistic talent to ask someone to build u a giant spray paint can and add a Campbell’s soup label to it. He not only deceived the entire street art world he also created what some people might see as a monster. He has perverted the idea of street art and made it something that it is not. He turned it into all about making money and not so much about the art.
In the articles that we were given to look at I found it interesting how this documentary could be done the way it was on purpose, and that Theirry does not even exist. I feel if this were true it could possibly serve as a warning to those who wish to become street artist that is not about getting your name out there it is about the work. The first part of the documentary shows you the artistic side of street art and things street artists create. The second half was more about what were to happen if you were to abuse it.
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